No-twist entanglement of filament and apparatus therefor

ABSTRACT

A bundle of untangled filaments is passed through a confining passageway in which it is subjected to a number of air jets to entangle the yarn. Preferably, there are four air jets, three jets on one side of the yarn and the fourth on the opposite side. Usually two jets on the one side are directed perpendicularly to the yarn path at an angle to spread and entangle the yarn, and the single jet on the opposite side is directed perpendicularly against the bundle, slightly offset from where the two air jets contact it. These jets spread and impart a twist factor to the yarn filaments about the bundle axis and thereby impart some entanglement to the yarn. The fourth jet is directed countercurrently to the flow of the yarn and further separates and entangles it.

a United States Patent [151 3,673,648 Thacker, Jr. 1 July 4, 1972 [54] NO-TWIST ENTANGLEMENT 0F 3,468,1l4 9/1969 Jackson mm B FILAMENT AND APPARATUS 3,525,133 8/!970 Psaras ..28/l .4

THEREFOR Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt [72] Inventor: Bernard L. Thacker, Jr., Hopewell, Va. Allurney-S. M. Clark and Willard L. G. Pollard [73] Assrgnee: 'llxzeofirrssttpgle Tlre & Rubber Company, ABSTRACT [22] Filed Sept 1 1970 A bundle of untangled filaments is passed through a confining passageway in which it is subjected to a number of air jets to [21] Appl. No.: 68,687 entangle the yarn. Preferably, there are four airjets, three jets on one side of the yarn and the fourth on the opposite side. 7 I Usually two jets on the one side are directed perpendicularly j CCII 28/14 353 j g to the yam path at an angle to Spread and entangle the yam, and the single jet on the opposite side is directed perpendicu- [58] Field of Search ..28/l .4, 72.12, 57/34 B, 157 F y against the bundle g y offset from where the two air jets contact it. These jets spread and impart a twist factor to [56] References cued the yarn filaments about the bundle axis and thereby impart UNITED STATES PATENTS I some entanglement to the yarn. The fourth jet is directed 3 110 151 11/1963 B t t I 57/l57 F countercurrently to the flow of the yarn and further separates y mg 6 a and entan les it. 3,220,082 11/1965 Fletcher et al.. ..,..28/l.4 g 3,333,313 8/1967 Gilmore et al. .,28/l .4 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures NO-TWIST ENTANGLEMENT OF FILAMENI AND APPARATUS THEREFOR This invention relates to producing no-twist entanglement of filaments, with the production of yarn. It includes apparatus for entanglement.

The filaments may be of natural or synthetic composition. The invention is particularly applicable to polyester, nylon and other organic synthetic filaments but is also applicable to the production of yarns from metal filaments.

There is considerable prior art on the non-twist entanglement of filaments. See, for example, Bunting et al., US. Pat. Nos. 3,115,691 and 2,985,995.

In the device of this invention, the filaments are usually passed vertically down through the entanglement device. Two horizontal fluid jets from one side of the thread line of the filaments converge and produce a vector equal to and substantially opposite the vector of a single jet on the opposite side of the thread line. However, this single jet is offset somewhat from the vector of the two jets to impart a twist factor in the individual filaments relative to the axis of the bundle without twisting the bundle about its axis whereby the filaments are entangled without twisting the bundle. A fourth jet directed upwardly lessens the effective thread line tension on the filaments whereby the filaments are spread prior to the action of the aforesaid three jets thereby aiding the efficiency of entanglement by said three jets.

The yarn entanglement of this invention is applicable to any substantial number of filaments from, for example, three up to several hundred, such as 500 or 600 or more, and the filaments may be of any denier from 0.5 or less to 50 or 75 or more, for use in textiles for men's and women's wear, carpets, tire cord and various industrial uses.

However, it is not necessary that the filaments pass vertically down through the entanglement device. They may be at an angle, and may even be horizontal. Then the several jets described as horizontal will not be horizontal but will act on opposite sides of the bundle of filaments in the same plane perpendicular to the bundle. Instead of a single jet to lessen the thread line tension there may be more than one and they need not be located on the same side of the thread line and will be directed countercurrent to the flow of the yarn.

Usually, in carrying out the invention, jets of air are ejected through the orifices, although other gases relatively inert to the filaments may be used and it is conceivable that liquid jets, such as jets of water, may be used. The air or other fluid is ejected at or near supersonic velocities. Ordinarily subsonic jets are used in the prior art. When air is used, the pressure is usually at 100 to 300 psig (pound per square inch gauge) about 200 psig being preferred.

The invention is further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a section through the entanglement tower on the thread line;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional perspective view on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail on line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail on line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

The tower l is provided with a passageway 3 closed by the door 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3). At the top of the tower is plate 7 which includes the ceramic guide plate 8. There is a similar guide plate 9 and ceramic guide plate 10 at the bottom of the tower. The horizontal bar 12 (FIG. 3) fastened to the top of the door confines the filaments in the slot 3 in the guide plate. A similar bar is fastened to the bottom of the door 5 above the guide plate 9. FIG. 1 is a sectional view, taken in back of the door and the bar 10.

The non-twist entanglement is carried out as the filaments pass down through the tower. The filaments may be elongated or non-elongated. They may be entangled as they are elongated, if desired, or at any other step of the treatment, as during beaming, etc. The tower is advantageously 2 and 6 inches tall, and preferably about 4 inches.

In opposite walls of the tower, toward the top are two covers 15 and 16 on the compressed air lines 18 and 19. In cover 15 there are three orifices arranged at 9 o'clock (Orifice A), l2 o'clock (Orifice B), and 3 o'clock (Orifice C). The A and C orifices are directed horizontally at the thread line at an angle of about 35 to 55 to each other, and preferably at 45 to each other and converge at the center of the filaments. Orifice B is directed upward at an angle of about 35 to 55 and usually 45 to the thread line. There is a single orifice (Orifice D) in cover 16. The jet from it is directed horizontally and parallel to the vector which converges from the junction of Orifices A and C. The vector of the converged jets from Orifices A and C is substantially equal to and opposite the jet from Orifice D, but is offset about 0.0l0 to 0.020 inch and preferably about 0.015 inch to impart a twist factor to the separated yarn filaments.

As the filaments in the bundle 20 are subjected to the air jets A, C and D, in their downward flow, the filaments are separated and a damped oscillation is imparted to each filament. The air from Orifice B tends to spread the filaments and aids in entangling them. Thus, the jets from A, C and D produce a balance of force vectors employing a twist factor (from jet D) in the same plane. One or more jets B are directed upward toward the yarn bundle to initiate separation and oscillation of the filaments prior to interlacing the parallel filaments.

A preferred distance betweenthe centers of the Orifices A and B, Orifices B and C and Orifices C and A is about 0.26 inch, and these distances are presupposed in the above description. The distances between any of the two orifices is usually but not necessarily the same. It may vary between substantially 0.25 and 0.50 inch, and the orifice sizes and the angle of Orifice B will vary accordingly with the denier of the filaments, the largest distances and hole size being used for larger filaments. The center line of Orifice D is directed at the outer quarter of the diameter of the yarn bundle and will vary with denier. The rate at which the filaments pass down through the tower may vary from 10 to 5000 yards per minute, and is not dependent upon the spacing or size of the orifices.

The diameter of the entrance to the orifices is usually about 0.031 inch, but may vary from 0.025 to 0.050 inch. The thickness of the covers in which the orifices are located is determined by structural rigidity minimizing pressure drop and frictional characteristics. If it is about 0.083 inch, the length of the orifice indentation in the exposed faces of the covers may be 0.075 to 0.l25 inch, the portion of the orifice embedded in the plate being generally conical along the axis of the orifice.

After the filaments have been entangled, they are brought together as the yarn passes through the opening slot in the lower plate 9, confined by the lower bar corresponding to the bar 12 in the upper plate. The yarn may be wound on take-up roll 25 or be otherwise handled.

I claim:

1. The method of no-twist entanglement of a bundle of parallel filaments passed continuously between three jets of fluid, two of said jets identified as the first two jets being directed against one side of the bundle at an angle of substantially 35 to 55 to a third jet and converging at substantially the axis of the bundle, said third jet being directed in the same plane against the other side of the bundle with a force substantially equal to the force of the first two jets and offset a slight distance from the convergence point of the first two jets perpendicular to the direction in which the bundle is to travel, whereby the filaments in the bundle are spread out and a twist factor is imparted to the individual filaments relative to the axis of the bundle without twisting the bundle about its axis whereby the filaments are entangled without twisting the bundle, and simultaneously directing a fourth jet against the bundle countercurrently to the direction in which the bundle is to travel, just before it reaches the aforesaid jets so as to separate the filaments, thereby aiding in interlacing the filaments.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the bundle is passed vertically down between the jets, the jets are jets of air, said first two jets are directed horizontally at an angle of 45 to one another, the air directed at the other side of the bundle being in a single jet, the air from said third jet being directed upwardly as a single jet at an angle of substantially 45 to the flow of the bundle at the same side of the bundle as said first two jets, and the air in the jets being at a pressure of substantially 100 to 300 pounds per square inch, gauge.

3. Apparatus for no-twist entanglement of a bundle of filaments which comprises a vertical passageway with means for confining the filaments as they pass downward therethrough in a first wall three jet openings with means for supplying a fluid under pressure thereto, two of said openings being in a horizontal plane and directed horizontally toward one another to cause the fluid passing therethrough to converge on the bundle axis at an angle of about 45, the third jet being plane perpendicular to the face of the plate and at an angle of substantially 45 to one another, and the third opening is in the middle between said two jet openings, spaced from the plane thereof and directed at an angle of substantially 90 to the plane of said two jet openings and directed away from said plane at an angle of substantially 45 to the plate.

t I I F 

1. The method of no-twist entanglement of a bundle of parallel filaments passed continuously between three jets of fluid, two of said jets identified as the first two jets being directed against one side of the bundle at an angle of substantially 35* to 55* to a third jet and converging at substantially the axis of the bundle, said third jet being directed in the same plane against the other side of the bundle with a force substantially equal to the force of the first two jets and offset a slight distance from the convergence point of the first two jets perpendicular to the direction in which the bundle is to travel, whereby the filaments in the bundle are spread out and a twist factor is imparted to the individual filaments relative to the axis of the bundle without twisting the bundle about its axis whereby the filaments are entangled without twisting the bundle, and simultaneously directing a fourth jet against the bundle countercurrently to the direction in which the bundle is to travel, just before it reaches the aforesaid jets so as to separate the filaments, thereby aiding in interlacing the filaments.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which the bundle is passed vertically down between the jets, the jets are jets of air, said first two jets are directed horizontally at an angle of 45* to one another, the air directed at the other side of the bundle being in a single jet, the air from said third jet being directed upwardly as a single jet at an angle of substantially 45* to the flow of the bundle at the same side of the bundle as said first two jets, and the air in the jets being at a pressure of substantially 100 to 300 pounds per square inch, gauge.
 3. Apparatus for no-twist entanglement of a bundle of filaments which comprises a vertical passageway with means for confining the filaments as they pass downward therethrough in a first wall three jet openings with means for supplying a fluid under pressure thereto, two of said openings being in a horizontal plane and directed horizontally toward one another to cause the fluid passing therethrough to converge on the bundle axis at an angle of about 45*, the third jet being directed up at substantially 45* to contact the bundle a short distance above the level at which the bundle is contacted by said first two jets; and a fourth jet opposite the first two jets and directed horizontally to contact the bundle a short distance to one side of where the first two jets converge on the bundle axis.
 4. In one wall of a tower for the entanglement of a bundle of parallel filaments, a plate with three jet openings in one face thereof, in which plate two of said jet openings are in one plane perpendicular to the face of the plate and at an angle of substantially 45* to one another, and the third opening is in the middle between said two jet openings, spaced from the plane thereof and directed at an angle of substantially 90* to the plane of said two jet openings and directed away from sAid plane at an angle of substantially 45* to the plate. 